Kids & Teens

Unstructured time is not wasted time. Children who get bored invent games, build things and learn to manage themselves. The parents job is to protect a few empty hours a week, offer materials and space, and resist filling every afternoon with a class.

Starting school, changing school, homework fights and the parents evening you dread: school shapes family life for a decade or more. We cover the transitions, the daily routine and how to talk to teachers so that everyone is on the same side.

Learning happens at the kitchen table, in the car and in the supermarket as much as in class. Reading aloud, counting change, cooking from a recipe and arguing about a map are all lessons. This is the practical side of learning at home, without turning your living room into a classroom.

There are good apps for children. There are also thousands of bad ones dressed up as education. We look at the ones that respect attention, work offline, do not sell data and are still worth opening after the first week. Age bands, price and what the app actually does.

Video games are the shared culture of a generation and a source of most family arguments after eight in the evening. Understanding what your child plays, who they play with and why stopping mid match is so hard helps far more than a blanket ban.

The best sport for your child is the one they still want to do in March. Team or solo, club or casual, the aim is a habit of moving that lasts into adult life. We cover choosing a sport, what clubs cost, how much is too much and what to do when a child wants to quit.